Split Peas
Split peas are dried field peas that have been hulled and split in half, cooking down into a thick, hearty base for soups and stews. They come in green and yellow varieties and are a pantry staple across many cuisines.
How to buy
Look for uniformly colored, dry peas without dust, debris, or shriveled pieces; a clear bag lets you check for consistency. Green split peas taste slightly more vegetal, while yellow split peas are milder and sweeter. Buy from a store with good turnover, since very old split peas take much longer to soften.
How to store
Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry pantry, where they'll keep well for up to a year and remain safe (though slower to cook) for longer. Unlike whole dried beans, split peas need no soaking, but once cooked, refrigerate leftovers and use within about 4-5 days or freeze for several months.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Earthy and mildly sweet, with yellow split peas leaning milder and green ones slightly more grassy and vegetal. Long simmering concentrates their natural sweetness, especially when cooked with ham, bacon, or caramelized onion.
- Texture
- Hard and dense when dry, split peas soften and break down readily during cooking, usually collapsing into a creamy, thick puree after 30-45 minutes of simmering without needing a presoak.
- Aroma
- A mild, faintly grassy smell while raw that turns warm and savory as they cook, especially alongside smoked meat or sautéed vegetables.
How to prepare
- Simmered into soup — Cooked low and slow in broth until they break down into a thick, porridge-like soup.
- Pureed — Cooked until very soft, then blended or mashed smooth as a side dish or dip base.
- Stewed with aromatics — Simmered with onion, garlic, and spices into a thick dal-like stew.
- Ground into flour — Dried and milled into split pea flour, used in some fritters and flatbreads.
Classic dishes
American
- Split pea soup with ham — A thick, smoky soup simmered with a ham bone or hock until the peas dissolve into a creamy base.
- Split pea and ham hock stew — A thicker, stew-style preparation that keeps some bite in the peas rather than cooking them fully smooth.
Indian
- Yellow split pea dal — Split peas simmered with turmeric, cumin, and garlic and finished with a hot ghee tempering.
- Matar dal curry — A thick curry of split peas cooked with onion, tomato, and warming spices.
French
- Potage Saint-Germain — A classic French puree of green split peas, finished with cream and sometimes fresh herbs.
Mediterranean
- Split pea and vegetable soup — A simple, brothy soup of split peas simmered with carrot, celery, and olive oil.
Greek
- Fava (Santorini) — A silky yellow split pea puree dressed with olive oil, lemon, and sometimes capers.
Spanish
- Potaje de arvejas — A Spanish split pea stew cooked with chorizo, potatoes, and smoked paprika.
Middle Eastern
- Shorbat ads asfar — A smooth, lemony yellow split pea soup common across the Levant.
German
- Erbsensuppe — A rustic German split pea soup, often cooked with smoked sausage and root vegetables.
Caribbean
- Jamaican split pea soup — A hearty soup of yellow split peas simmered with pigtail or salt beef, scotch bonnet, and dumplings.
- Rice and peas with split peas — Coconut rice cooked with split peas as an alternative to kidney beans or pigeon peas.
Ethiopian
- Kik alicha — A mild, turmeric-tinted Ethiopian stew of yellow split peas simmered with onion and ginger.
British & Irish
- Pease pudding — A dense, savory pudding of boiled split peas, traditionally served alongside boiled bacon or ham.
- Split pea fritters — Cooked, mashed split peas bound and pan-fried into small savory cakes.
Substitutions
- Red Lentils — Cooks in about the same time and breaks down similarly for soups, though the flavor is milder and slightly less sweet.
- Green Lentils — Holds its shape better than split peas, so use if you want more texture in the final dish.